Hank McCoy really wanted to know what was going on with Cerebro since the Professor said that it wouldn't pick up Raven's X-gene. He worked endless hours with it and found nothing. Around Wednesday, five days after the attack, Hank picked up something. As he traced the signal, he found that it was being sent from an outer-space satellite.
~*Charles, you might wanna see this,*~ said Hank, contacting the Professor.
~*I'll be right down, Hank.*~
In no time the Professor reached him; Kitty was already working on a translation.
"What is it?" asked the Professor, eagerly.
"We've received a message. From outer space, I believe," said Hank.
"What???" asked the Professor.
"Yeah, like, I'm having such a hard time translating it. The program I wrote is totally not enough," Kitty said, as she peaked away from the keyboard for a second.
"Who sent it?" asked the Professor.
"We don't know, but there is a time and a place for a meeting that was sent in numbers. It seems to me that they're a very advanced race and....," Hank trailed off as Kitty screamed.
"What's wrong?" they both asked at the same time.
"I think I got it. Oh, my gawd, they want Jean!" she exclaimed.
"What???" Xavier asked.
"Yes, according to her program, the translation should be right, with a few adaptations to grammar and other things so the message would make sense. It says: 'Give us Jean Grey or we'll...' that's where it gets cut off," said Hank double checking the paper.
"OHMYGAWD!!!!!! What are we going to do?"
"I guess the only thing we could do: let Jean decide," said Xavier.
"It'll be a tough decision on the girl. Are you sure she can handle it?" asked Hank.
"I don't know. I'm sure Jean will want to do something but, one thing is for sure, we can't decide for her," Xavier sighed. "Let's go. We'll meet in the living room in five minutes. Don't say anything to anyone, Kitty. I want to be able to explain what's going on, can I count on you?"
"Without a doubt, Professor."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Trouble is brewing at the Institute," said Tom on the communicator that was placed near Faye on the desk.
"What's wrong?" she asked looking up from her first report.
"I don't know. There's a lot of activity."
"Can you gain access to Cerebro through the chip we put in?"
"I could try."
"Do that and then report back to me."
"Sure thing."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"I don't like it," growled Logan.
"Me either," said Scott. He looked at Jean and put his arm around her. "Why would they want Jean? What for?"
"I don't understand, Professor," said Jean, sitting quietly in the couch with her legs close to her chest. "Why am I so important?"
"I don't know, Jean. I wish I could explain it, but they have specifically asked for you."
"Can't we do anything to protect her?" asked Ororo.
"Not until we know why they're after her. We have to meet in the place they asked for."
"Which is?" asked Kurt.
"The Institute grounds," said Hank.
"There's gotta be somethin' wrong with all that. I don't like it at all," said Logan, as he left to go to his room.
He needed to talk to Faye. If anyone knew anything about this, it had to be her.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"I got it!" exclaimed Tom, triumphantly.
"What's the problem?"
"They were contacted. A message from outer space was sent through a satellite and diverged into the Institute."
"Who is it from? Shi'ar?"
"I don't know. I don't think so; it's not their style."
"Is the message translated?"
"Kitty did a pretty good job translating, but the message is wrong. It's also incomplete."
"Can you do something about it?"
"I'm going to try, but I can't guarantee anything."
"Do it. I want to know what that message says and who sent it," said Faye, her eyes darkening as fear started setting in.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Logan reached his room and opened a drawer to find his communicator. He opened the book-like device and turned it on. As the screen came alive a message appeared from Faye. It said:
"Can we cancel Saturday?"
He scoffed. She knew something already; it was no wonder that she came to be the Oracle of the Realms. On the other screen he scribbled the message: "We need to talk," and hoped that she would reach him in time.
"What's wrong?" she asked.
"I could tell you, but I guess you already know it," he wrote.
"Yes, what do you think?"
"I think something is wrong."
"You're right. The translation is wrong."
"What?"
"It's true. Tom is working on a new translation right now."
"Has he found who sent the message?"
"Not yet, but we do have a hunch. I can't tell you yet. Don't be alarmed, I'm taking care of things."
"I'm sure you are. I do want to know things, keep me informed."
"I will," wrote Faye.
Logan turned off the communicator and looked at the sky. According to the coordinates that Hank received, whoever was sending the message wanted to meet tomorrow around three in the morning. Hank said that they might want to avoid suspicion of daylight or something, but he doubted that was the real reason.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Day turned to night and tension grew around the mansion. Nobody wanted to say anything to each other. They hardly could believe that aliens were contacting them, much less that they wanted to take Jean away from them. However, whatever their motives, they weren't going to leave without a fight.
Professor Xavier was worried that the X-men weren't trained enough to beat such creatures, whoever they were. He looked over at Logan, who kept checking outside for as if he was expecting someone. Because of his Weapon X training or ethics, Xavier couldn't really penetrate his mind and find out what he was thinking.
"I wonder why the Oracle contacted us when we were about to be attacked and didn't when we received the alien message?" he tried.
Logan shrugged, but said nothing.
"What are you thinking about, old friend?" he tried again.
"Wonderin' the same thin'."
"Tell me, Logan, what do you know about the Oracle?"
"Too much for comfort."
"So, you know who she is?"
"Yes, and you will too; very soon," Logan said leaving the room. He couldn't take that interrogatory without being able to tell his friends what he knew.
He reached his room and checked his communicator for the fourth time in an hour. A message from Faye lit up as the machine started up.

It said:
"Don't worry. We've got it all figured out. Meet them where and when they want you to. They're a peaceful race, called Psepclip. They won't hurt you, but if they contacted someone, they need help. Before Jean is given over, I'll intervene."

Logan breathed a little easier now. He still didn't know what to do--should he tell Chuck what he knew or should he just wait?
Another message came in: "Tell Xavier not to worry. Tell them who the message is from and that they're not going to harm them; just that and nothing else."
The link was broken as the second the message was received. Logan closed the communicator and left the room.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"I have some piece of information," announced Logan.
"What is it?" they all asked, anxiously.
"I know who sent the message. It's a race called Psepclip. They're peaceful and shouldn't attack us," he said, looking down.
"How do you know these things?" asked Hank.
"Can't tell. I just do. Ya just gonna hafta trust me."